BOONE — Slithering in the rocky streams and rivers of the eastern United States is a rare species of giant salamanders known as hellbenders. Dr. Michael Gangloff, professor in Appalachian State University’s Department of Biology, has been researching the amphibians for nearly two decades. Recently, his lab assisted a team tasked with transferring the giant salamanders from the now removed Shull’s Mill Dam on the Watauga River to a newly restored habitat downstream.
“Our goal was to move the hellbenders out of harm’s way before the dam was removed,” said Gangloff, “but it’s also an attempt to see that if we move them into a new habitat where there aren’t as many of these animals, if they will establish populations there.”
The dam removal was a collaborative effort spearheaded by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission — with help from App State and the Watauga Riverkeeper — to improve Watauga River’s biodiversity and water quality and to reduce flooding. The river now flows for 78 miles without barriers — a project made possible by the recent $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill.